Thursday, April 25, 2013

This blanket came to life because I wanted to make something for our new moss green sofa. I wanted to make a blanket with a true retro feel about it, and finally decided to combine bright colors with black borders, creating a real seventies vibe. I absolutely love this combination!!

At the same time I needed squares that were fast and easy to make, but didn't look the part. I absolutely adore the Sunburst Granny Squares, but they are pretty time consuming and when you suffer from back aches, like me, crafting for long periods of time is just not an option anymore. So I needed an alternative.

In short: I love my Seventies Blanket and I would love to share with you how I made it. I'm also joining as-I-go this time around to save even more time and give the blanket a good 'flow', so I will include this method of joining granny squares in this tutorial.

Hope you enjoy!

Sizes & yarn

The Seventies Blanket consists of four rounds measuring about 4 inches in size. I used a 4mm crochet hook and Schachenmayr SMC Bravo. This yarn is 100% acrylic, machine washable and it comes in many, many great colors.

StitchesDouble crochet (dc): yarn over, insert hook in next stitch, yarn over and pull loop through stitch (3 loops on hook). Yarn over and pull through two loops on hook (2 loops remaining on hook). Yarn over and pull through two remaining loops on hook.

Double crochet two together (dc2tog): yarn over, insert hook into stitch and pull loop through stitch (3 loops on hook). Yarn over and pull yarn through 2 loops (2 loops left on hook). Yarn over, insert hook into same stitch, pull yarn through (4 loops on hook), yarn over, pull yarn through 2 loops (3 loops remaining on hook). Yarn over and pull through 3 remaining loops on hook.

Treble stitch (trbl): Yarn over hook twice, insert hook into next stitch. Yarn over hook and draw yarn through stitch (4 loops on hook). Pull yarn through two loops (3 loops remaining on hook). Yarn over and draw through two loops (2 loops remaining). Yarn over and draw through the last two loops on hook.

Round 1
Start with a magic circle. Chain 3 (counting as the first double crochet stitch) followed by a double crochet stitch and then chain 1. You now have one 'cluster'. Next, crochet 2 dc's and chain 1 (this is the second cluster).

Repeat *crochet 2 dc's followed by a chain 1* four more times until you have six of these clusters. Join with a slip stitch to the top of the beginning chain 3 and pull the yarn of the magic circle to close the circle.

Round 2

Attach the next color with a slip stitch in one of the chain 1 spaces from the first round. Chain 3 (counting as the first dc) followed by a dc stitch, then chain 1. In the same space, crochet 1 dc2tog and then chain 1.

Move on to the next chain 1 space from the first round and crochet: dc2tog, chain 1, dc2tog, chain 1, all in that same space.

Now, repeat *dc2tog, chain 1, dc2tog, chain 1* in the next four chain 1 spaces from the first round. Join with a slip stitch to the top of the beginning chain 3. Your granny circle should now look like this:

Round 3

Attach the next color with a slip stitch in one of the chain 1 spaces from the second round. Chain 3 (counting as the first dc) followed by 2 more dc's in the same spcae, then chain 1.

In the next chain 1 space from the second round, crochet 3 dc's and then chain 1.

Repeat *3 dc's, chain 1* ten times until every chain 1 space is filled. Join with a slip stitch to the top of the beginning chain 3. You're granny circle now looks like this:

Round 4

For my Seventies Blanket I used black yarn for every fourth round to create that great retro vibe.

Now, the next steps might sound a bit tricky, but it's not as bad as it seems: you're basically going to turn your Seventies rounds into squares. In the picture below you can see which stitches you'll use for the straight lines (pink) and the corners (blue).

So, to start round 4 attach the next color with a slip stitch in one of the chain 1 spaces from the third round. Chain 4 to count as the first treble stitch and then crochet 2 treble stitches in that same space.

In the next chain 1 space from the third round, *crochet 3 dc's, move over to the next chain 1 space and again crochet 3 dc's*. You now made one of the four straight lines of your square.

Next, you'll make your first corner: all in the next chain 1 space from the third round crochet 3 treble stitches, chain 3, and crochet another 3 treble stitches.

Repeat this sequence (straight line + corner) two times, then repeat from * to * (straight line) once.

To finish your last corner: crochet 3 treble stitches in the same space as the beginning treble stitches, chain 3 and join with a slip stitch to the top of the beginning chain 4.

Fasten off and your Seventies Granny Square is done!!

Moment of choice: crochet together or join as-you-go?

If you are not joining as-you-go, just finish a whole bunch of complete granny squares (using rounds 1 - 4) separately and then sew or crochet the squares together.

For this blanket, I will be joining the squares as-I-go. It's quicker and gives blankets a better 'flow' in my opinion.

Joining as-you-go

To join as-you-go you will need to make one complete Seventies Square using rounds 1- 4 and then a whole bunch of granny circles using rounds 1 - 3. Make as many as you need, want, can...

... until you have enough to start your blanket! :)

Next you'll have to decide which way to arrange your granny squares. It helps to lay them out, try different combinations and take a step back before you decide.

As you can see I've already started my blanket and am preparing to add another row by displaying the granny rounds in the order I want to join them.

So, are you satisfied? Sure?! ;)

Then let's start joining already! Remember you've already made one complete Seventies Granny with four rounds: we'll call this the existing square and this will be the square you'll attach a second square (the new square) to. It doesn't really matter if you are starting your blanket or adding a row like I am: if you get the principle of joining you're there.

So for the new square, start exactly the same as with any fourth round: attach the next color with a slip stitch in one of the chain 1 spaces from the third round. Chain 4 to count as the first treble stitch and then crochet 2 treble stitches in that same space. In the next chain 1 space from the third round, crochet 3 dc's, move over to the next chain 1 space and again crochet 3 dc's. In the next chain 1 space crochet 3 treble stitches.

You will now have this:

Next, grab the existing square you want to join your new square to because the joining is about to start.

On the new square proceed by chaining 1 and then sticking your hook through a corner of the existing square from front to back, like this:

Wrap the yarn around your hook...

... and pull it through the corner of the existing square and the loop on your hook. The two squares are now joined by a slip stitch.

To complete the corner of your new square: chain 1, and in the same space as the other 3 treble stitches, crochet 3 treble stitches.

Your new square will now look like this:

You get it? Instead of chaining 3 for the corner, you chain 1, attach the squares with a slip stitch, and chain 1 again. You're basically just replacing 1 chain with 1 slip stitch.

Now, your next steps will be:

Straight line

- slip stitch in next space of existing square

- 3 dc's in the next space of the new square

- slip stitch in next space of existing square

- 3 dc's in the next space of the new square

Corner

- slip stitch in next space of existing square

- 3 treble stitches in the next space of the new square

- chain 1

- slip stitch to existing square

- chain 1

- 3 treble stitches in the same space of the new square

And there your have it: your squares are joined!

Now, depending on how far along you are with your blanket, either continue joining the left side of the new square to an existing square, or - like this case - just continue round 4 as usual. Fasten off, and you're done :)

When you've joined your squares add extra stitches in the places where four squares meet to keep them neatly in place.

And there you go. You can now join as many Seventies Squares as you wish to make a small or big blanket, using fast but pretty squares!

Sunday, April 14, 2013

There is good busy and there is bad busy. The last few weeks were good busy. Busy at work, busy at home, busy riding my bike, busy exercising, busy taking a dance course, busy celebrating birthdays.

This weekend I could finally catch my breath a little. I watched Downton Abbey, did some chores around the house and 'worked' in the garden.

In my little world 'working' in the garden means cutting away a few dried up flowers, and then spend the rest of my time photographing stuff...

... saving snails...

... and playing with cats :)

This is one of our cats, Tika, and she is very afraid of the other cats in our neighborhood. She must be so happy the weather is improving since it means me and J can function as her bodyguards when she goes outside ;)

She is truly sweet tempered and follows us around like a little shadow. She loves playing with sticks and walking with me beyond our garden - which she normally never dares to do - but unfortunately for Tika, it's only a matter of time before the other cats come to take a look...

Who is that shady figure, you might wonder?

It's Willem, our neighbor's cat, sitting on top of a shed overlooking his domain :) The sound

of him alone makes Tika look like this:

Willem meanwhile doesn't really care...

He is way too obsessed with the noises of my camera :)

Okay cats, that's it for me. I'm off to my busy life. You guys be off to... your staring contests, spider catching and naps in the sunshine! :)

Hi there!

My name is Jenny. I love photography & blogging, writing, crafting, handmade items, interior & graphic design and I'm always searching for the little things in life to inspire me. Welcome to Nittybits, where I will share bits of everything that makes life just that much more enjoyable.